Theatrical amusement, educational, and advertising device



- w. F. POWERS -THEATRICAL AMUSEMENT, EDUCATIONAL, AND ADVERTISINGDEVICE Filed March 29," 1921 vii-3 I/ m I "fi'il E I llllllll I) 2ATTORNEYS WILLIAM F. rowens, or ENGLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY.

THEATRICAL AransnMENT, EDUCATIONAL, AnnAnvEitTIsInG DEVICE.

Application filed March"29, 1921. Serial No. l56i506.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, lVILLIAM F. Pownas, a citizen of the United States,residing in Englewvo'od; county of Bergen, andState of New Jersey, haveinvented the following new and useful Improvements in TheatricalAmusement, Educational,. and Advertising Devices.

My inventionrelates to I improvement of the combination, fully setforthand claimed in my application X6 outed March 24, 1921, of aphonograph record and a miniature knock-down, theatrical stage setting,togetherwith movableor adjustable actor-figures therefor, said stagesetting and actor-figures bearing pictorial representations, designs or.other insignia corresponding to the words'and action of the phonographrecord and being made of cardboard of such size and contour as to becapable of compact assembly flatWise with the record in a package "ofsubstantially the dimensions nowcommonly used for the sale and shipmentof records, so that the purchaser of such a package can unfold orassemblethe stage setting and use the same and-the movable actorfiguresindemonstra tion or illustration of the sub ect of 'the record towhichsaid setting refers. I am of course aware thatuniniature stagemecha nism and actor figures have heretofore been madeandsold, but sofar asI am" aware no one has previously proposed to make and correlatesuch'mechanisin with a particular theme of a phonograph record andcombine the same with its said record in compact com mercial packageform so as to make thereof a combination that constitutes a salescommodity having educational, recreational and advertisement advantagesas above mentioned, and in whichthestage setting has a stiffening effectand serves, as to a cer'-' tain extent the figures do also, as aprotection to the record.

The invention of this applicationlike that f my aforesaid application isair-amusement, educational and advertising" device,

but differs therefrom in that the miniature knock down stage setting isadapted to serve when fiat as a container for the phonograph record andif desired'for the actor figures, all of which cooperate as before inthe dramatic interpretation of the record. M

The present application is thus largely concerned with such a miniatureknocka modification or.

down theatrical stage setting adapted as stated to act as a containerfor a phonograph record and also with the construction of the knock-downstage setting itself spe cifically and in a broader sense, and with thecombination of the stage setting and the recordfor which it acts ascontainer and of these with the actor figures.

Referring to thedrawings: Figure l is a perspective view of" the stageset-ting folded fiat'or in knock-down position and showing a phonographrecord contained therein; Figure "2 is a plan of the blank for the stagesetting, and Figure 3 is a per spective View showing the stage settingsetup in' position for use with actor figures thereon. I V

The stage setting and in particularthe back drop may be illustratedartistically in any appropriate way so as to be suggestive of the themeor subject matter of the record for which it acts as containerandtherange ofthemes or subject matter ofrthe records chosen may beindefinitely varied through the realms of song, story and otherliterature and music. Indeed the field from which the maker of thephonograph records may select themes for records is by this inventionenlarged," since their visual portrayal makes attractive and salablerecords of subjects such for instance as bird calls and Bible storiesnot otherwisesuflici'ently interesting to command a ready market! Suchartistic matter may be specific or general and is often the latter'etc., could also be used. This ancient favorite wlth 1ts perennial, ageold appeal to children inay'thus be enacted by the child himself, whoshares in Robinson Crusoes varied emotions andexperiences, or by someinterested older person. Both instruction and entertainment inhere inthis well directed literary and dramatic play.

In describing the miniature stage setting, I have used the wordknock-down, meaning by this term to include both structures in which theparts of the stage setting are separate and may be assembled, andstructures such as that illustrated in the drawings, in which the stagesetting is flat or capable of being folded flat, or into set-upposition. The stage setting has a front member 1 constituting the stagearch and containing the stage opening and a back drop 2, parallelscoring lines enabling the blank to be folded to form an accordion hingeor folding connection 3 between the two parts. The front member 1 may beprovided with flaps at and 5, which may be cut out along the edges whichare designed in use to be free, or may be left as a 0011- tinuous partof the said member, lines being provided to indicate where the flapsshould be cut or bent. These flaps before they are folded occupy thestage opening, at least in part. They are illustrated as designed to befolded respectively about the top and the bottom edges of the stageopening, each flap may be provided with a scoring line 6 parallel withits free edge in order to permit the free end of each flap to be bent,these bent portions or supplemental flaps 7 and 8 respectively beingadapted one to form the support for the stage proper or platform whichthe flap 5 constitutes when the stage setting is in set up position, andthe other to assist in keeping in place the stage top which isconstituted by the flap at when in set up position. Both the members 1and 2 are provided with flaps for retaining the record in place andmeans for releasably connecting said front and back members are alsoprovided. lVhile of course the construction need not be just asillustrated, it is shown as follows: The memher 1 is provided with aflap 9 at one side thereof, which flap is folded or designed to befolded on the scoring line 10. This flap is provided with a pair of whatmay be de scribed as hinge lugs 11, since they are arranged like pairsof hinge pintles. These lugs are beveled as shown to facilitate theircooperation with a pair of slots 12 near the edge of the back member 2,the arrangement being such that the lugs 11 may be passed through theslots which are long enough to permit this and then be moved endwise inthe slots until the neck portions 13 are pushed home against the bottomsof the slots 12. A separable and alocking connection is thus providedwhen the stage setting is in set up position, as indicated in Figure 3.These lugs or slots perform a further function since they constitutereleasable connecting and locking means which may be brought into playwhen the stage setting is in flat or knock-clown condition. Thisconnection may be efiected by folding the flap 9 over the edge of theback member 2 and behind it and by pushing the lugs through the slotsand then moving them endwise to lock in a manner substantially like thatabove explained. The accordion hinge and theflap 9 constitute, when theparts are in knock-down position, means for preventing the record 14from sliding out at the sides of the container formed by the stagesetting. To prevent the record from sliding out at the top or bottom,flaps 15 and 16' folded or foldable on the scoring lines 17 and 18 areprovided, these flaps being shown as located on the back member 2. Theflap 15 may also serve as a top for the stage. The stilfening and recordprotecting effect of the stage setting when acting as container isevident.

It will be apparent that the record might be shipped in the stagesetting without the use of any outer receptacle, although to avoidsoiling the stage setting I prefer to enclose it in an outer envelope,the package being in either case of substantially the dimensions nowcommonly used for the sale and shipment of phonograph records andconstituting a sales commodity having educational, recreational andadvertisement advantages. 1

The actor figures as in my aforesaid application may be cut outs oradapted to be cut out, if for commercial reasons or to provide furtheramusement to the child in cutting them out, this is considereddesirable. Of course they need not be placed in the containerconstituted by the stage setting, although where they are already cutout this is convenient. The use of the stage setting as a container forthe record during shipment is very advantageous.

The artistic background being so placed on the stage setting as to be onthe inside of the container when closed or fiat is in this way protectedand the fact that the stage opening is then closed makes the pro tectioncomplete.

The stage setting with the actor-figures constitute a Visualizer ordramatizer for the phonograph record on which is recorded for audibleindication thereby subject matter susceptible of dramatic representationor illustration, to which the appearance of the stage setting isappropriate and of which the actor figures are illustrative.

Claims:

1. The combination of a phonograph record, actor-figures bearingpictorial representations, designs or other insignia corresponding tothe words and action of the phonograph record, and a phonograph recordcontainer capable of re-arrangement as a stage setting, adapted to beshipped fiat with the record within it, having record retaining meansconstituting it when in that condition, a container for the record,'and

11. In a miniature knock-down theatrical stage setting a front memberproviding the stage arch and containing the stage opening andhaving aflap occupying originally part of the stage opening foldable inwardaround an edge of said opening to constitute the stage proper orplatform when the stage setting is in set up position and having asupplemental foldable flap to assist in supporting the platform.

12. In a miniature knock-down theatrical stage setting a front memberproviding the stage arch and containing the stage opening and flapsoccupying originally part of the stage opening foldable inwardrespectively around the top and the bottom edge of said opening toconstitute respectively the top of the stage space and the stage properor platform when the stage setting is in set-up position.

13. In a miniature knock-down theatrical stage setting a front memberproviding the stage arch and containing the stage opening and havingflaps occupying originally part of the stage opening foldablerespectively around the top and the bottom edgeof said opening toconstitute respectively the top of the stage space and the stage properor platform when the stage setting is in setup position and havingsupplemental flaps to assist in supporting said top and said platform.

14:. A cardboard structure serving both as a phonograph record containerhaving record retaining means and as a stage setting provided with astage opening and having adjacent front and rear members having mutuallyopposed inner front and rear surfaces in substantially the same planeadapting it to be shipped flat and having also means for supporting thestage setting structure with the part of its back member behind thestage opening spaced to the rear thereof to provide stage space.

15. A miniature theatrical stage setting having connected front and backmembers having opposed inner surfaces and occupying substantially thesame plane during shipment, and capable of rearrangement in,

set-up position ready for use as a stage setting, the front member beingprovidedwith a stage opening obstructed by the material of the frontmember during shipment and the back member having on its front or innerside artistic matter thus located on the inside and protected when thestage setting is flat but visible through the stage opening as abackground when the stage opening has been freed from obstructingmaterial and the stage setting is set-up, and means for spacing andmaintaining the part of the back member opposed to the stage opening adistance in the rear thereof to provide stage space. H

16. A miniature theatrical stage setting provided with flexiblyconnected front and back members having mutually opposed adjacent innersurfaces adapting it to be shipped fiat and having record retainingfolds constituting it when in that condition a container for aphonograph record, the front of the back member being decorated and thedecorations being thus so placed on the stage setting as to be on theinside of the container when it is flat.

17. A cardboard structure serving both. as a phonograph record containerhaving record retaining folds and as a stage setting and comprisingfront and back members connected by a flexible fold along one side andfoldable into set-up position spaced apart from front to rear inreadiness for use or into substantially the same plane in mutualopposition for shipment, said members constituting means for supportingthe stage setting in set-up position.v

18. A miniature stage setting capable of occupying a fiat position andhaving a front member provided with a stage opening closed when thestage setting is in that position, and a back member connected to saidfront member at onev side thereof, said members having means forretaining them in flat position and for keeping a phonograph record inplace intlie flat stagesetting behind the closed stage opening, theinner surface of said back member bearing artistic matter illustrativeof the theme of said record, and means for supporting the stage settingin set-up, position with the inner surface of the back member visiblethrough the stage opening then unobstructed, so as to constitute abackground appropriate to the theme of the record.

19. A miniature theatrical stage setting having connected front and backmembers one of which has a stage opening and whicn. have opposed innersurfaces said stage setting being adapted to be shipped flat with itsmaterial obstructing the stage opening and to constitute when in thiscondition a container for a phonograph record and having on its insideopposite said obstructed opening artistic matter protected duringshipment by said material and constituting a when the stage setting isset up and the stage opening freed from obstruction a background visiblethrough the stage opening.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

IVILLIAM F. POIVERS. A

